Qatar Emiri Air Force shoots down two Iranian Su-24 fighter bombers
March 3, 2026
Qatar says it has defended its airspace by shooting down two Iranian Su-24 Fencers. The development is notable as Qatar is not taking part in offensive operations against Iran, and most Iranian aircraft appear to be destroyed on the ground by US and Israeli strikes.
Qatar shoots down two Iranian Su-24s
In a news release yesterday, Qatar stated that the Qatar Emiri Air Force had shot down two Iranian Su-24s coming from Iran. It also said it has intercepted seven ballistic missiles through its air force and five drones by its air and navy forces. As of the time of writing, Qatar has stated it has intercepted two more ballistic missiles.
— وزارة الدفاع – دولة قطر (@MOD_Qatar) March 2, 2026
The Qatari shootdown of two Sukhoi Su-24 Fencers is a mild surprise, including that Iran would operate its limited fleet of obsolete aircraft in that area of the Gulf.
It is unclear what missions they were flying; the old legacy Soviet bombers have now mostly been withdrawn from frontline Russian use, while they have been central to Ukraine’s ability to fire UK/French provided Storm Shadow/Scalp EG missiles.
Prior to the revolution of 1979, Iran received its fighter jets from the West (F-14s, F-5s, F-4s). In 1991, it received over 100 mostly Soviet-made jets, with some French-made Mirage jets from Iraq as they fled destruction during the Gulf War.
The Su-24s, Su-22s, and MiG-29s Iran now operates are seized ex-Iraqi jets.
The UAE has intercepted 541 drones, 165 ballistic missiles and 2 cruise missiles as of Sunday, March 1, after attacks started across Gulf countries on Saturday.
— The National (@TheNationalNews) March 2, 2026
The UAE's Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) system is one of the most advanced in the world, with its… pic.twitter.com/TRoHlpOt4Y
Meanwhile, Qatar also released a statement refusing a claim by Bloomberg that it was running low on Patriot interceptor missiles, saying it remains “well stocked.”
Get the latest aerospace defence news here on AGN.
Destruction of Iran’s debilitated air force continues
The destruction of two Iranian Su-24s adds to a growing list of Iranian aircraft destroyed by allied forces. Yesterday, the US’s CENCOMT published strikes against two old Iranian Su-22s, the export variant of the Soviet Su-17 Fitter.
U.S. forces are taking bold action to eliminate imminent threats posed by the Iranian regime. Strikes continue. pic.twitter.com/z1x07D7APl
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 2, 2026
Israel has also published footage showing it targeting Iranian Northrop F-5s and F-4 Phantom IIs on the ground. The OSINT account Shin posted yesterday, “Source tells me: 2x F-14 Tomcat in Isfahan AB, 2x F-4 Phantom in Tabriz AB, 1x F-5 Tiger in Isfahan AB, 2x F-7N in Isfahan.”
If accurate, then that would suggest around 11 Iranian aircraft have been reported to have been destroyed. This is in addition to an Iranian F-4 Phantom II and an Iranian Army AH-1J Cobra helicopter crashing in February before Operation Epic Fury kicked off.
Iran also lost several aircraft to Israeli air strikes last year.
A MiG-29 and a Yak-130 light attack/trainer. Tehran. https://t.co/UaBWEKJRMM
— Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555) March 2, 2026
Still, as of yesterday, what’s left of the Iranian air force has not been completely grounded or destroyed. A MiG-29 with a Russian-supplied Yak-130 light fighter/advanced trainer was seen flying above Tehran, possibly trying to intercept drones or missiles.
Sinking of Iran’s drone carrier
In another notable development, CENTCOM has confirmed the sinking of Iran’s drone carrier, the IRIS Shahid Bagheri. The large drone carrier was the result of the conversion of the container ship Perarin between 2022 and 2024.
.@CENTCOM confirms that 🇺🇸US forces sunk the 🇮🇷Iranian drone carrier, IRIS Shahid Bagheri (converted merchant ship commissioned February 2025) during the opening phases of Operation Epic Fury. pic.twitter.com/k1kufl58Ro
— Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) March 2, 2026
The ship entered service in 2025 and drew ridicule from the intelligence community. Purpose-built warships are designed to localise hits and stop a catastrophic chain explosion of on-board munitions and fuel. The Shahid Bagheri would have had little or none of that.
OSINT accounts dismissed Iran’s drone carrier as little more than a propaganda piece and a target. The ridicule appears to have been well-founded, with CENTCOM stating, “U.S. forces struck the ship within hours of launching Operation Epic Fury.”
CENTCOM also stated, “Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman; today, they have ZERO.”
🚫The Iranian regime’s false messaging machine continues to falsely claim that it has sunk a U.S. aircraft carrier.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 2, 2026
✅The TRUTH: The only carrier that has been hit is the Shahid Bagheri, an Iranian drone carrier. U.S. forces struck the ship within hours of launching Operation… pic.twitter.com/6npT8nJcAt
While it is unwise to make inappropriate comparisons and draw premature conclusions, it is worth noting that China has been seen converting cargo ships into drone carriers as well. China has a much greater ability to protect its assets.
Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons
